Fear grips Tumbru as Myanmar shelling continues

It is 6:30 in the morning. The dawn breaks at Tumbru valley in Bandarban's Naikhongchhari, with cool air wafting around. 

Suddenly, a mortar firing from the Myanmar side rocks the bordering area, forcing farmer Hamid Hossain to run for a shelter.

"I could not weed my paddy field thanks to the ongoing border tensions for more than a month," said Hamid.

"After two weeks, I came to my farmland for the first time today. But I had to stop weeding as the explosions seem more frequent now,"  the farmer told The Business Standard on Tuesday.   

On Tuesday, mortar fires and gunshots were heard on Palangkhali border of Cox's Bazar's Ukhiya upazila – the latest in the series of violent incidents across the border, according to local union parishad Chairman Gafur Chowdhury. 

During a visit to Tumbru on Tuesday, mortar shells and gunshots were heard every 20 to 30 minutes from morning on the Myanmar side. After the shelling, there were gun fires in response from the Myanmar border adjacent to Baishari union. The fires haunt locals of 15 border-side villages.

Tumbru locals, who are not completely unfamiliar with such firing on the Myanmar side, said the latest border tension is severe as shells are fired intermittently throughout the day.   

From Tumbru Bazar and Paschimkul border areas, the Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) was spotted taking a strong position on the Tumbrurite Hills in Rakhine State. Several bunkers have been built along the border. Mortar shells are being fired from there one after another.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has restricted movement in the border areas as the tensions put them on high alert.   

Ukhiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Imran Hossain Sajib said there are more than 100 families who live within 300 metres of Palangkhali's Anjuman border. "We are in touch with them. Next action will be taken according to the situation."   

Bazar empty, students aren't coming to classes 

Visiting a number of villages of Ghumdhum union's Tumbru on Tuesday, the villagers were found hunkering down in their home. They are not coming out unless there is an emergency.        

Schools in Tumbru are witnessing lower-than-usual class attendance.  

"My house is just one and a half kilometres away from here. I heard at least ten explosions while coming to school," Tumbru Government Primary School teacher Mujibul Haque told TBS. 

"How can we ask students to come to school in such a situation where we ourselves are in constant fear?" he questioned. 

At around 11am, Tumbru Health and Family Welfare Centre was found to have no patients. Only an assistant doctor was sitting idle. At regular times, more than 100 people come to the centre per day. 

Tumbru Bazar is the biggest local market at Ghumdhum union. On Tuesday afternoon, more than half of the shops of the market were found closed. Customers were few and far between to shops that were open. 

Zero-line Rohingyas seek UN help 

Ghumdhum Union Parishad Chairman AK Jahangir Aziz said, "At least 70 Bangladeshi families live within 200 yards of the border. Preparations are underway to evacuate 300 families to safe places, which have already been listed."

He told TBS that the families will be shifted to local schools at a safe distance. Already 35 families have moved away to their relatives in different upazilas of Cox's Bazar.

Some 4,200 Rohingyas, who have been living on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border's zero-line since 2017, are frightened by the recent spate of junta actions. 

Dil Mohammad, a Rohingya community leader, said the Myanmar Army has been trying to drive them away. 

He said they have mailed a letter to the United Nations seeking help from the ongoing border area violence.